Top 5 Kansas news stories
November 12 2025
Northern Lights Dazzle Kansas Skies in Rare Geomagnetic Storm
Chiefs Eye Kansas Stadium Site Near Speedway as Economic Debate Intensifies
Sen. Moran Honors Veterans, Including Father, at Nasdaq Bell Ceremony
Marion County to Pay $3 Million Settlement Over 2023 Newspaper Raid
Unseasonably Warm Weather Continues Through Weekend, Record Highs Possible
Northern Lights Dazzle Kansas Skies in Rare Geomagnetic Storm
McPHERSON, Kan. — Kansans across the state were treated to a rare celestial spectacle Monday night as the northern lights danced vividly overhead, courtesy of a powerful G4-level geomagnetic storm sparked by solar flares and coronal mass ejections. From Kansas City to Hutchinson, residents captured stunning displays of green, purple, red, and pink auroras visible to the naked eye or through smartphone cameras, with the phenomenon extending unusually far south due to heightened solar activity. Sky watchers advise heading to dark, rural spots for the best views, with potential lingering activity into Wednesday night if skies stay clear.
Citizen Journal
WOW! Tonight's solar storm is PRODUCING quite the aurora and northern lights show across the United States. And this could be a teaser for a bigger episode Wednesday night that is not just more vibrant, but further south. Go look outside! Share your view below. Red areas is the… pic.twitter.com/VsDq0XbpS4
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) November 12, 2025
Chiefs Eye Kansas Stadium Site Near Speedway as Economic Debate Intensifies
The Kansas City Chiefs have issued requests for proposals to design a new stadium on the Kansas side of the state line and are negotiating with NASCAR and the state for land near Kansas Speedway, according to reports from Kansas City area sports radio hosts. Pete Mundo of KCMO talk radio reported the Chiefs contacted multiple firms for a stadium at Interstate 435 and Interstate 70, though he stressed the RFP doesn't confirm Kansas as the final location. Kevin Kietzman said on his podcast the Chiefs are negotiating for land west of the speedway from NASCAR's 880-acre Village West holdings and may also build a hotel near Hollywood Casino with an entertainment district. The Kansas Legislature has agreed to finance up to 70% of the project, with a minimum $1 billion price tag, through bonds repaid with sales tax collected in a STAR Bond district. Patrick Lowry, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Commerce, said the agency has no comment on negotiations but continues analyzing costs and benefits to keep the Chiefs and Royals in the region while maximizing growth opportunities for Kansas. However, economic experts question the stadium's financial benefits. J.C. Bradbury, an economist at Kennesaw State University releasing a book next year titled “This One Will be Different: False Promises and Fiscal Realities of Publicly Funded Stadiums,” said economic justifications for tax-backed stadium development don't hold up. Bradbury said he has searched extensively for studies showing economic benefits from stadiums but hasn't found one, noting that while stadiums increase business activity, they don't improve actual economic outcomes for communities.
Kansas Reflector
Sen. Moran Honors Veterans, Including Father, at Nasdaq Bell Ceremony
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas joined members of the U.S. Marine Corps aboard the USS Intrepid on Veterans Day for the ringing of the Nasdaq Exchange's opening bell, using the ceremony to honor veterans including his father, Raymond Edwin Moran, who served in the U.S. Army in North Africa and Italy during World War II. The Republican chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee said the event reflected gratitude expressed across America, from Kansas prairies to New York City's skyline, for those who serve the country today and in the past.
Kansas Reflector
Marion County to Pay $3 Million Settlement Over 2023 Newspaper Raid
Marion County will pay $3 million to three journalists and a city councilor raided in 2023, with the sheriff's office expressing sincere regret to Marion County Record owner Eric Meyer, city councilor Ruth Herbel, and others whose homes were searched alongside the newspaper office. The sheriff's office statement acknowledged the raids likely wouldn't have happened if established law had been reviewed and applied before executing the warrants. Marion County's board of commissioners approved the settlement agreements Monday, which coincide with consent judgments expected in federal cases against the county. While the county was a secondary player in the raids, Meyer said the settlements could strengthen the paper's ongoing cases against the city, adding everyone involved is convinced the case will go to trial with the city and these agreements will make that easier.
Kansas Reflector
Unseasonably Warm Weather Continues Through Weekend, Record Highs Possible
WICHITA, Kan. — Kansas will see unseasonably warm conditions through the weekend with temperatures climbing from the upper 60s to low 70s Wednesday to the low 70s by Thursday and Friday, about 10-20 degrees above normal for mid-November. A few record highs may be tied or broken Friday under mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies, with a storm system passing Sunday night into Monday bringing limited rainfall mainly north and east of the state, followed by another system later next week while temperatures remain near or slightly above normal.
KWCH
Sources
Citizen Journal
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